Monday, 22 January 2018

If you have been following me on social media over the last few days, you will know I was recently invited down to the Armada Hotel in Spanish Point, Co. Clare to stay for the night! It couldn't have come at a better time with it being my birthday last week and also my Nan's 80th birthday this week coming. So Sunday the 21st of January, my Mum, Nan & Myself set off down to Spanish Point for the night, with it only being over an hour away from my hometown, it was the perfect little getaway!

I don't know if you saw it at the start of the year but it is my mission to see more of Ireland throughout 2018, we all dream of visiting different countries and seeing the world but there are so many amazing places right under our nose here in Ireland, so I am going to try and see them all.

Back to the trip away, I have been to many different hotels and towns in Ireland over the last few years but I can honestly say I have never received a friendlier welcome or a more generous business than The Armada Hotel. From the moment we stepped in the front door of reception to when we were packing up our bags to leave - the service was second to none. I got to have a little tour of the hotel with their management, hearing all about it's history (especially John Burkes recent trip to Everest which was incredible) and why it is such a popular destination especially for weddings and you can 1000% see why! Sitting right on the sea shore with the most beautiful views out every window, it is no surprise The Armada is a lot of people's go-too destination.

Since it was just the 3 of us, we decided to go for dinner in the very homely Johnny Burkes Pub on the Sunday Night. From start to finish the food was INCREDIBLE! I mean anyone that knows me knows I am a very fussy eater but trust me when I say the burger down there was potentially the best burger I have EVER had - yes I said it! Our waiter for the night Caoilfhionn was an absolute sweetheart and a credit to the restaurant, sitting down to have the chats with us along with telling us all a little bit more about the hotel and surrounding towns - she even went and put candles on my Nan's dessert for her 80th Birthday, the dream! We had two rooms for the night, both newly refurbished suites which were absolutely gorgeous! Both extremely homely and spacious, not to mention how amazing the views from them were. The staff at the Armada even had massive 80th Balloons for my Nan in her room which was just the sweetest touch.

I could honestly go on all day about the Armada and my trip to Spanish Point. It may have been short and sweet but it is certainly one neither I or my Mum & Nan will forget. So if you are ever planning a trip to Co.Clare I cannot recommend The Armada Hotel enough - trust me you will not regret it! See their website here.

Tuesday, 16 January 2018

This week I was delighted to be featured as one of the Top 60 Irish Bloggers with some amazing Irish Names! What a wondering industry to be part of and thank you so much Feedspot for the feature. See the entire article here.

Sunday, 14 January 2018

Lately I have been struggling to think of interesting ideas for posts, I wonder will people be interested in what I write or am I boring them to tears. I find great inspiration from like-minded people and after recently catching up on some of favourite blogs especially one called "22" by my dear friend Gabs (you can see her blog here) I decided to put my own version of it together.

On the 11/01/2018 I turned the ripe age of 23! 23 YEARS OLD - I am not taking it very well. To be honest I feel like the years are slipping by far too quickly and that I am not making the most of them. Being an extremely anxious person doesn't help these thoughts when all I want to do is create the most amazing life imaginable but some days I just don't have the energy to put myself together. So with that I have decided to look back on the last 23 years and put together 23 things I have learned from life (so far).

1. Life can be a pile of poop sometimes but it has to get worse to get better.

2. Some people will never get you & that is ok.

3. Handbags are my thing - I can never have enough.

4. I will always be the girl who would prefer to stay in then go out.

5. It's true what they say "Some people are a blessing, some are a lesson.'

6. I will never "CURE" my anxiety, I will just have to continue to learn to live with it.

7. I need to stop putting pressure on myself to find "the one", I need to learn to love myself first.

8. People grow apart and that's just life.

9. Someone will always judge you so do what makes you happy.

10. Be the you'iest version of YOU!

11. Never let anyone tell you how to live your life.

12. Wear what you want!

13. Using body moisturiser on a daily basis is important.

14. It's ok to love McDonalds.

15. Travel really is the only thing you buy that makes you richer.

16. Say YES to more things.

17. Cherish every moment with your loved ones.

18. Never stop taking photos.

19. Step outside your comfort zone.

20. The amount of likes on photos & followers on Instagram does not show your value as a person.

21. It's ok to say no sometimes.

22. I must embrace my pasty white skin.

23. Cherish every single day you wake up alive & healthy, some people don't get the chance. With 23 years lived already, there is so much I want to do with my life still. I honestly think the older you get the more you appreciate every single day, you take the good with the bad and create a life for yourself. There is so many new places I want to visit and risks I want to take so lets hope the next 23 years are just as special.

Saturday, 6 January 2018

Ok, it's official I am the worst blogger ever - I am 6 days in to 2018 and haven't even looked at my blog until today, wooops! Anywaaaay, I have been humming and hawning over writing a "resolutions" post for the new year but I decided to leave it be! A lot of my goals for 2018 are very personal so you know I said I would leave that soppy stuff off the blog for now! Looking back on the year gone by though, I have to say I am SO PROUD of myself for everything I achieved in 2017. I never give myself credit for anything but now I have decided to give myself a little pat on the back - i've done good! 2017 was the year I pushed myself outside my comfort zone numerous times when all I wanted to do was crawl back in. It is the year that I realised the potential out there for my blog but also made me think long and hard about what I actually want from my blog!

Recently I've seen parts of the blogging industry take a turn for the worst and honestly it's something that I want to stay WELL AWAY from! To be honest I am just not into the "showing every part of your life online" and for those who do, it's perfectly fine that you do, to be honest fair play to you, but it's just not for me! If you have been following me for awhile you will know I am a very private person, my home/work life is rarely shown on social media and that's the way I like it! I work full time, I have just finished college, I am trying to have some bit of a social life (I am also supposed to fit a boyfriend in there so everyone keeps telling me, haha) so when I actually get a chance to do something fun the last thing I tend to do is take my phone out and I personally think it is the right way to be!

My blog is my safe place to express my love of writing and of course my never-ending love for fashion! Being brave with what I wear is honestly a passion of mine, it's the main reason I have this little corner of the internet, I want to encourage people to do what they like, wear what they want and not give two hoots what people think!

2017 has also taught me to STOP WORRYING ABOUT FOLLOWER NUMBERS!!! Honestly you would drive yourself insane with that Instagram follower count! One minute I am at 42.7k and then 5 minutes later I could be 400 less and to be honest the more I looked at it, the more bogged down I was getting and that is in no way a healthy way to be! So after doing a little poll with all of you lovely people and having a little chat to myself, I have decided to stop being so hard on myself - if my numbers don't go up so be it!

"Life is too short to worry about what people who exist in a free app in your phone think of you."

Look like everyone else I have big dreams for each year, sure wouldn't I only love to have a six pack but to be honest I love McDonalds too much for that! I would love to be able to hop on the next plane out of here but I have to be at work at 9am, I have bills to be paid but that's life and you have to make the most of it! We all have shit, horrendous and absolutely mind boggling days where we literally contemplate every decision we have ever made like "if I didn't eat the chinese on the 9th of May 2008 I wouldn't have that piece of fat there" - stop it now, are we nuts? The bad days are bad but they make the good days even better and that is how a life is created. The point I am trying to make in the midst of this long ramble is to enjoy life, cherish the people you have in it and live in the moment, not on your phone! Obvs you can take the insta when you have the chance - you gotta do it for the gram but don't take it too seriously! If someone is annoying you online, is there a need to send hate in their direction? There is an unfollow button on every form of social media for a reason, use it, you have no idea what is going on in anyones life and your "little" comment could be the very thing that sends someone over the edge!

Lastly (before I send you all to sleep) is to enjoy life, I plan on making the rest of my life the best life I can create! I want to see the world, I want to fall in love over and over again, I want to buy that Gucci if my heart desires and I want to look back on my life when I am 80 years old with a smile on my face! We all think we have loads of time but the truth is we don't, who knows if I will be here next week not to mind next year! Life can honestly be taken away from you in a swift minute so wouldn't it be a shame to let it go to waste? So from the tears to the tantrums, the smiles to the laughs, enjoy your life and ALWAYS REMEMBER, "Be Bold, Be Brave, Be Sassy, Be YOU".I am ready for you 2018!